There was a time when I actually believed, because I was an ass, that as a critic I was an avenging angel with a flaming sword, and that part of my job was to help rid the culture of books that were sucking up more of the literary oxygen than they deserved.

While many want to lament the future of the book, it’s important to realize the future is very bright. Books will, however, look significantly different in the near future, and they will look very little like they ever have in the past.